FDLR: BUREAU DU PRESIDENT / OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENT /06122014FPPP.
TO:
His Excellency Mr. Ban KI-MOON, Secretary General of the
United Nations (UN)
Her Excellency Madame Sylvie LUCAS, Chairperson of the UN
Security Council;
His Excellency Mr. Donald TUSK, Chairperson of the European
Union Council;
His Excellency Mr. Jean-Claude JUNCKER, Chairperson of the
European Union Commission;
His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel AZZIZ, President of
the Republic of MAURITANIA and current Chairperson of the African
Union (AU);
His Excellency Mr. François Hollande, President of the Republic of
France
Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini ZUMA, Chairperson of the
African Union Commission;
His Excellency Mr. Robert MUGABE, President of the Republic
of ZIMBABWE and Chairperson of the Southern Africa Development Community
(SADC);
His Excellency Mr. José Eduardo DOS SANTOS, President of
the Republic of ANGOLA and Chairperson of International Conference
for the African Great Lakes Region;
His Excellency Mr. Uhuru KENYATTA, President of the Republic
of KENYA and Chairperson of the East African Community;
His Excellency Mr. Joseph KABILA KABANGE, President of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);
His Excellency Mr. Jacob ZUMA, President of the Republic of
South Africa;
His Excellency Mr. Jakaya M. KIKWETE, President of the
United Republic of TANZANIA;
His Excellency Mr. Vladimir PUTIN, President of the Russian
Federation.
His Excellency Mr. Barack OBAMA, President of the United States
of America.
His Excellency Mr. Xi JINPING, President of the People’s Republic
of China.
His Excellency Mr. David Cameron, Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
RE: An
urgent appeal for support of FDLR’s voluntary disarmament and requested political dialogue for a dignified repatriation
of Rwandan refugees.
Your Excellencies,
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) assures
you that the FDLR is fully committed to putting non-armed political
struggle at the forefront of its efforts, as officially declared on 30
December 2013, at Lusamambo, in Eastern of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) as well as to conform to the relevant provisions of
disarmament process. In this way, the FDLR has already embarked on the
process of voluntary disarmament, followed by cantonment of combatants
along with their dependents to the Kisangani Transit Centre.
The FDLR confirm again there are more than 200,000 Rwandan
refugees that have been miraculously surviving within the dense forests of
the DRC, as they have been abandoned by the international community and
UNHCR, to their own fate, for more than two decades now.
Along with other Rwandan refugees scattered around the world, they
have a desire to return back to their homeland through a negotiated
political settlement but not to be resettled in third countries. The
desired political dialogue and voluntary repatriation is anticipated to
lead to the definitive restoration of peace, stability and prosperity
within the countries of the Great Lakes Region.
The FDLR expresses its concern at cantonment process related
activities, which were planned and are being implemented by MONUSCO but
without proper coordination and supervision.
According to the roadmap to voluntary disarmament and cantonment,
the following cantonment-related activities were achieved. From 01 April
to 30 May 2014, the preparation for cantonment of the combatants at KATIGU
in North Kivu was conducted. Prior to this preparation, an invitation was
sent to the International Community to witness the voluntary disarming and
handing FDLR weapons over to SADC on 18 April 2014.
The preparation was witnessed by Mr Feller Lutaichilwa,
Premier of North Kivu Province; Mr Mark Power UK Representative; Mr Thomas
Lynch from the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy in the Great Lakes
Region’s Office; Ms Jane Alison Porter, from the European Union; Colonel
TEMPOREL, French military attaché; Mr Anton Jongennel, Chief of Political
Bureau/US Embassy; Lt Colonel Mandjani Omari, SADC Representative. The
ceremony was conducted by Major General Victor Byiringiro, Interim President
of FDLR. In their speeches, they promised to promote the FDLR’s noble
cause, however, the United Nations’ support is lacking in various respect.
From 27th, November, 2014, some FDLR combatants along with their
families were relocated at the Kinsangani Transit Centre. We have shown
our deep concern that the Kinsangani Transit Centre cannot accommodate all
FDLR combatants and their families. Its expansion is urgently needed.
Kindly be advised that the next cantonment of the FDLR combatants
along with their families to Walungu and Kanyabayonga will start on 15
December 2014. We hereby request the SADC and ICGLR to ensure these people
are escorted from where they are now to their destinations. Escort
mechanism is needed as from mid to the end of December 2014. In the
absence of the provision of security, please note that no cantonment will
take place. We also request the SADC and ICGLR to request the DRC
government, UN and AU to ensure the safety and security of the combatants
and their families during their stay at Walungu and Kanyabayonga
respectively.
Furthermore, take note that the FDLR is deeply concerned and
unhappy with the manner in which the first combatants who were cantoned
and their dependents are being treated. So far, they have no access to
social services that would enable them to meet their essential basic
needs, such as toiletries, baby formulas, food, clean water, healthcare
services, education and so forth. The way they are living is shocking and
below acceptable human dignity standards
It needs to be noted that the successful implementation of FDLR’s
30 December 2013 Voluntary Disarmament Declaration is fully dependent on
support of the international community in general and individual support
of the government that you represent in particular. The commitment of each
Head of State and government to support the peace process will render
negotiated political settlement an
essential matter that could not be denied by the Rwandan government. The
FDLR strongly believes that your support will carry with it a political
note that will have an influence on the Rwandan government to such
an extent that it will realize the need and necessity of providing free,
safe and secure political space, of which Rwandan political opposition is
longing to enjoy. Above all, the FDLR’s position is that the cantonment
operation should be followed by a political negotiation.
Your Excellencies,
The FDLR fully remains convinced that the best way to bring peace,
security, stability and development to the forefront as an alternative to
armed struggle in Rwanda in particular and in the Great Lakes Region in
general is through negotiated political settlement between conflicting
parties. Negotiations will bring about an improved understanding of each
conflicting party’s concerns, interests, and needs as well as about an
effective tackling of root-causes of the conflict thereof.
A great deal of efforts and resources have been wasted
on wrestling with the conflict’s effects and consequences. This approach
did not bear any fruit for the past 20 years. It should therefore be acknowledged
by the government you represent and the international community of which
you are a member that the Rwandan conflict and the refugee problem are
fundamentally political and should be resolved politically.
In fact, ill-advised approaches have been applied by the
international community (i.e. United Nations (UN)) in an attempt to
resolve the Rwandan complex problem due to understanding it in very
superficial and shallow ways. The FDLR has been demonized and portrayed as
bad guys, resulting in the RPF government celebration of the FDLR as a
pariah. Such portrait reinforces a conservative ethnic – or apartheid –
politics that the UN explicitly rejected in 1970s. As a matter of fact,
the FDLR should never be perceived as pariah or a problem, rather the FDLR
should be considered as core stakeholder, inasmuch as a long-lasting
solution to the socio-political Rwandan problem is concerned. Engaging
with it politically is a must.
Having said that, the FDLR pleads with the international
community, more particularly with your government, the UN, Africa Union
(AU), European Union (EU), SADC and ICGLR to take into consideration the
Rwandan –Hutu and Tutsi – refugees’ pain, misery and sufferings and thus
resolve the prolonged refugee problem in a dignified, humanly and peaceful
manner. There is a need to treat them as human beings whose human rights
apply and not as a commodity. What democratic and human rights principles
tell us is that people should participate in the decision making that may
adversely affect them.
With respect to resettling FDLR’s combatants and their families in
a third country, the FDLR reiterates and stresses that this is not a
favorable option and that the international community should not waste its
time on that matter unless if it has an ulterior agenda. It should be
noted that Rwanda is our country and as such, it is where all Rwandans
must enjoy their fundamental rights. And no one has the right to prevent
them from it.
Your Excellencies,
Please find attached a document explaining who the FDLR is with
expectation and in anticipation for a positive response to my request from
your side, please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
Done at Walikale, 06 December
2014
Byiringiro Victor
Général Major
Président ai des FDLR
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